Are Online Casinos Safer Than Offline Casinos?

We don’t mean in terms of responsible gambling. We firmly believe that gambling is gambling, and going to a land-based casino is no different than going to an online casino in terms of developing a problem. Make sure to follow the smart gambling practices that ensure your financial security and the utmost enjoyment when placing bets. But this article isn’t about your financial security, this is about the safety of your personal information.

In March of 2016, the River Cree casino — located right outside of Edmonton — was attacked by a cyber predator, and many customers and employees had their information stolen. It was so extensive and so outside of the land-based casino’s depth, they aren’t even sure how much information was actually stolen. That is frightening.

Reading time: 4 minutes.

Are online casinos safer?

A lot of Canadians that enjoy placing bets choose to avoid online casinos because they don’t think their personal information is safe, especially when they are located in a foreign country. Rather than visit online casino resource likes this one, read third-party forums, and do the research, they limit themselves to traveling to an land-based casino, or, worse yet, visiting a local bookie. Online transactions always have a level of security risk, and they probably always will. However, when you make transactions at websites and with payment methods that employ 128-bit or better SSL encryption certifications and fraud identifiers, as well as meticulous internal controls, the compromising of your person information is relatively rare, and if it does happen, you are reimbursed.

Let’s be honest, making transactions online has become a necessity of the modern culture. Do you know of a single person that hasn’t typed in their payment info at some capacity? How about a person that’s logged into their bank account online? Whoever that person is, they’re probably a hermit that doesn’t go near the internet.

This article is inspired by the cyber attack at River Cree casino. They didn’t have the proper cyber protection in place, and as a result, personal information was compromised. The players at online casinos operate 100% online, and because of this, online casinos are extremely careful about their personal information. Unlike land-based casinos, where players can largely play with cash, online casinos take a particular interest in their security.

Consider this. If an online casino was compromised by a cyber attack, they could lose everything. Scratch that, they would almost definitely lose everything. Players wouldn’t trust them, they would withdraw or just disable their account in droves, and that would be the end of it. Because of this, you can be much more confident that an online casino takes the safety of your personal information very, very seriously.

I’ve been to many land-based casinos, and I’ve only played in cash, so I’ve never had to worry about anything be compromised, so in that case, your personal information is safe. However, those who join VIP programs, buy tickets to shows and events, withdraw from the casino using their debit or credit card, or buy a drink at the bar with their card, they are all at risk of their personal information being compromised.

Gambling in any form is fun, exciting, and can result in some serious winnings. The safety of your personal information online is protected with the utmost in oversight at every online casino that we recommend, and they all have a stellar reputation. If any of the casinos we recommended had their players’ information compromised, we would immediately take them down. Player safety and comfort should be the top priority without exception. The selection of games, promotions, and deposit options can be important, but there isn’t a question of what we put the most stake in.

If you go to a land-based casino, try and always use cash for everything. If you are concerned about an online casino, even one that is highly recommended, you can use e-wallets that add an extra layer of protection and act as cash separately from your more sensitive personal information.

But again, these online casinos are as safe as any company online gets. Admittedly, we’re also just tired of hearing people say that land-based casinos are safer. We hope that the incident at River Cree nips that in the bud.